>>> WE ARE JUST A FEW MINUTES
AWAY FROM THE START OF THE
SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR
ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE MERRICK
GARLAND, MY NEXT GUEST KNOWS HIM
VERY WELL.
TALI WINESTEIN, SHE CLERKED FOR
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SANDRA DAY
O’CONNOR AND IS CURRENTLY
RUNNING FOR MANHATTAN DISTRICT
ATTORNEY.
TALI, YOU KNOW THIS MANUEL, TELL
US ABOUT HIM.
>> THANK YOU, STEPHANIE.
YOU KNOW, IT’S FUNNY, HE WAS SO
GOOD AT BEING A JUDGE, AND A
JUDGE IS MINIMALIST.
HE’S MODEST, HE DOESN’T SHOW HIS
PERSONALITY.
AFTER TWO DECADES I THINK THAT
WE ALL STARTED TO THINK AS A
COUNTRY THAT THAT IS ALL OF WHO
HE IS.
BUT THE JUDGE GARLAND THAT I
KNOW IS FIERCE, HE IS
RELENTLESS, HE’S STRATEGIC, HE’S
A FIGHTER, THIS IS THE PERSON
THAT WE ALSO SAW AS A COUNTRY
PROSECUTING THE OKLAHOMA CITY
BOMBINGS.
I THINK THAT THAT’S WHO WE’RE
GOING TO SEE AS ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
>> GIVEN THAT, GIVEN THAT HE
SPENT YEARS PROSECUTING THE
OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING AND WHERE
WE ARE AS A COUNTRY IN TERMS OF
DOMESTIC TERRORISM HOW IMPORTANT
IS THAT EXPERIENCE, HOW WILL
THAT SERVE HIM NOW?
>> OH, I THINK THAT IT IS --
REALLY HAS BECOME A PART OF THE
BEDROCK OF WHO HE IS AND IT’S
WHY HE WOULD HAVE BEEN -- LOOK,
HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXCELLENT
CHOICE AT ANY MOMENT BUT IT’S
WHY HE IS THE MAN TO MEET THIS
MOMENT.
AS YOU SAID, THINK ABOUT THE
LAST TIME WHITE SUPREMACISTS
SOUGHT TO TOPPLE OUR FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT THROUGH A SPECTACULAR
ACT OF A VIOLENCE, THE MOST
DEADLY ACT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
TO DATE IT WAS HIM, JUDGE
GARLAND WHO JUMPED ON A PLANE ON
BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE AND MOVED TO OKLAHOMA
CITY AND DEMONSTRATED THAT WE
CAN USE THE LAW, WE CAN USE OUR
INSTITUTIONS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
AND JUSTICE.
AND OF COURSE HE’S GOING TO HAVE
TO TURN TO ANOTHER ACT OF WHITE
SUPREMACY, VIOLENT CRIME THAT
SOUGHT TO TOPPLE OUR FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, THE EVENTS OF
JANUARY 6th.
AND HE IS IMMEDIATELY GOING TO
KNOW HOW TO TACKLE THAT.
>> ANY THOUGHTS ON WHETHER OR
NOT OR HOW HE WOULD PURSUE
ANYTHING AGAINST FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHETHER WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT THE INSURRECTION,
OR PERSONAL BUSINESS MATTERS?
THAT IS CERTAINLY GOING TO BE A
TOP QUESTION FOR DEMOCRATS.
>> YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT IT WAS
INTERESTING THAT IN THE OPENING
STATEMENTS THAT HE’S ABOUT TO
GIVE HE MADE SURE TO REMIND THE
COUNTRY THAT WHEN HE WAS A
SENIOR OFFICIAL AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT’S
WHEN THEY SET FORTH SOME OF THE
RULES THAT GOVERN THE SEPARATION
OF LAW AND POLITICS.
AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT JUDGE
GARLAND, WHO HELPED SHAPE THOSE
RULES IS GOING TO ABIDE BY THOSE
RULES.
>> THINK BACK TO WHAT WE SAW IN
THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WHETHER IT
WAS PRESIDENT TRUMP WITH BILL
BARR, WITH JEFF SESSIONS, FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP REPEATEDLY
BLURRED THE LINES BETWEEN THE
WHITE HOUSE AND THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
CAN MERRICK GARLAND FIX WHAT
TRUMP BROKE?
>> I THINK HE ABSOLUTELY CAN AND
HE HAS A BASIS, REMEMBER, IT’S
NOT LIKE THEY WERE OPERATING
WITHOUT GUIDANCE, WITHOUT
PROTOCOLS, WITHOUT RULES.
THEY -- THOSE INSTITUTIONS WERE
THERE, JUDGE GARLAND WAS AMONG
THE SMALL GROUP OF OFFICIALS WHO
HELPED BRING THEM TO LIFE.
AND I THINK HE IS GOING TO BE
ABLE TO REVERT AND HE’S GOING TO
HAVE THE LEGION OF CIVIL
SERVANTS WHO WORK AT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT BEHIND HIM.
>> IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT HE’S
GOING TO TALK ABOUT EQUAL
JUSTICE FOR MINORITIES BUT HE
DOESN’T HAVE MUCH OF A RECORD IN
THAT SPACE, NEITHER GOOD NOR
BAD.
WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT HIM?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT
THE EXPERIENCE THAT HE HAS HAD
TAKING ON WHITE SUPREMACY REALLY
IS THE SAME KIND OF VALUE THAT
HE’S GOING TO PUT OUT INTO THE
WORLD.
HE UNDERSTOOD THAT -- WHAT A
THREAT THAT WAS AND HOW, YOU
KNOW, THESE VALUES REALLY CAN BE
BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE AND
CONSTANTLY PERFECTED.
YOU KNOW, HE ALWAYS SAID TO US